The invention relates to a method for actuating an electromagnetic switching valve that is part of a fluid system having different operating states and that has a solenoid as well as an armature group that can be moved between a first switch position enabling a flow of fluid and a second switch position blocking the flow of fluid, with this armature group having a valve-closing body and a magnet armature connecting to the valve-closing body with a tensile force-free frictional connection.
Electromagnetic switching valves with an armature group in which the magnet armature connects to the valve-closing body with a tensile force-free frictional connection are known in fluid technology in a large variety both with respect to their application and also with respect to their structural configuration. One such switching valve emerges, for example, from DE 10 2005 061 509 A1. The armature group in that document comprises a magnet armature, an armature tappet mounted on the magnet armature, and a valve-closing body that is not connected rigidly to the armature tappet, but instead merely contacts the armature tappet on an end face. When the valve-closing body is displaced into the first switch position enabling the flow of fluid, the valve-closing body contacts the end face of a valve-housing-fixed bearing bushing for the armature tappet, while, due to mass-inertial forces, the armature tappet separates from the valve-closing body and is displaced further together with the magnet armature. The duration and the profile of this overshoot also designated as the free-flight phase below are dependent on the friction forces and the force of an armature spring returning the armature tappet so that it contacts the valve-closing body.
The free-flight phase, however, could have a considerable negative effect on a functional operation of the switching valve with high-frequency switching processes, i.e., processes set apart by only extremely short pauses, if the duration of the free-flight phase were to be significantly longer than the largest possible permissible pause between successive coil excitations, wherein this pause is dependent on the operation.